a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to vehicle components for detection of objects for facilitating parking and other maneuvers, and more particularly, to bezels for facilitating attachment of parking aid sensors to areas such as the front and rear bumpers of a vehicle.
b. Description of Related Art
As is known in the art, parking aid sensors are attached to front and/or rear bumpers of automobiles for facilitating parking and maneuvering of a vehicle adjacent objects. Parking aid sensors generally use sonar technology, which in the near future may be utilized for image detection devices for pedestrian protection, collision avoidance, adaptive speed control, etc. Existing sonar based sensors must be mounted such that the sensor is exposed for proper operation. On the other hand, radar based sensors can be concealed behind a bumper cover. However due to the additional cost of radar based sensors, such sensors can be prohibitive from a cost perspective, and moreover, such sensors often also require sonar based sensors for adequate system function.
Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, parking aid sensor assemblies 10 are generally mounted by means of a housing or bezel 12 disposed in a hole (not shown) in a bumper 14, with the bezel holding sensor 16 in place. In order to complement the colored bumper cover, valence panel and other adjacent body components, bezels are generally provided or finished in a body color, an accent or in a black color. Alternatively, as shown for sensor assemblies 18, 20 of FIGS. 1C and 1D, respectively, expensive techniques involving heat staking, adhesive bonding or sonic welding may be used for attachment of the sensors without the bezel designs of FIGS. 1A and 1B. In automobiles manufactured by the hundreds of thousands and often available in a variety of color combinations, such finish requirements for bezels and other such housing devices can unnecessarily add to the overall end-product cost. Since aesthetically bezels and other housing devices have little or no value other than holding a sensor in place, it is desirable to minimize the manufacturing, assembly and overall end-product cost for such components.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,909,376 to Rennick discloses a light and proximity sensor assembly (22) including a shell (28), transducer (36) of proximity sensor assembly, and lens plate (40) for covering shell (28). As shown in FIG. 1, lens plate (40) is formed with a selectively transparent material so that when bulbs (30, 31) are illuminated, light of appropriate intensity is emitted through assembly (22), (Col. 3:11-49).
The sensor assembly of Rennick however does not address, much less recognize, the aforementioned problems associated with bumper mounted sensors, in that with shell (46) including transducer (36) mounted therein, shell (46) is mounted away from the painted area of the vehicle body. Thus, a single color and design for shell (46) may be utilized with any paint combination.
It is therefore desirable to provide a bumper or body mounted parking aid sensor bezel that is simple to manufacture and assemble, and provides an economical means of attaching a parking aid sensor without requiring the bezel to be uniquely manufactured based on a vehicle's body color. It is also desirable to provide a parking aid sensor bezel that may be modified or made of a variety of materials for matching or contrasting with a vehicle body color.